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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26976649">crushing, like heavy stone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/4wholecats/pseuds/4wholecats'>4wholecats</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post battle at Nados, Prompt: collapsed building, Whumptober 2020, its mostly physical hurt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:35:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26976649</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/4wholecats/pseuds/4wholecats</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sephiran pictured Nados in his mind; a grand palace of heavy stone, surrounded by plains.<br/>There were a lot of bodies in here.<br/>All of them wearing the black armor of Daein.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sephiran/Zelgius (Fire Emblem)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>crushing, like heavy stone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>what if we exchanged warp powder in the ruins of a fallen fortress while you were being crushed to death by rocks and also we were both boys</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The news that Ike’s army was still barreling towards the Mad King’s new throne was not very surprising to Sephiran. The group had become strong, and their leader was finally growing into the large shoes that his father had left behind. The reports of the Greil Mercenaries’ victory at Nados arrived with the rise of the sun, and Sephiran plastered on his most serene fake smile before ushering the messenger away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So then, Zelgius had let the boy go? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran wasn’t angry, of course. Truth be told, he didn’t particularly care what happened to Ike. He was just one raindrop in the flood that would wake the goddess once again; whether or not he lived to see it. But Sephiran knew that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zelgius</span>
  </em>
  <span> cared, so he trusted that his general had good reasons. Reasons he expected to hear soon enough, whether by letter or face to face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of his day went as expected. No one came to bother him in the afternoon, so he decided to spend the day in the gardens. He wasn’t much of a plant-caretaker himself, but the weather was nice, and the roses were just starting to bloom. The greenery calmed his mind, familiar in it’s color and tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dozed under a tree until sunset, wandering back inside when the night air began to chill. One of his stewards trotted up to his side; a short man with dull blue hair styled into a patchy comb-over, complete with bushy moustache. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord, your meal awaits you in your quarters, as requested,” he said, bowing deeply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Tiede. Tell me, have any messages been delivered? I’m expecting correspondence from General Zelgius.” Sephiran began to glide effortlessly down the hall, Tiede picking up his pace in order to catch up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, my lord. Nothing has been delivered, and I don’t believe he has arrived in person since he left for the front lines. Would you like a steward to send a request for him via pegasus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strange. Zelgius, even when impossibly busy, was never late. Especially when it came to such… </span>
  <em>
    <span>important matters</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s quite alright. I’m sure he has a good reason for his delay. Thank you Tiede.” The little man bowed once more, turned on his heel, and walked away as Sephiran entered his bedroom, expression falling. He ate in silence, thinking hard about what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had Ike… defeated Zelgius? Had the boy actually managed to kill him? That would be… unfortunate. Not only in regards to Sephiran’s grand plans, but… Well. He did care about the General. Quite a bit. He thought about what to do, nibbling on the top of a piece of broccoli. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last he had heard, Zelgius was going to be at Nados Castle. Which meant that if he and Ike really had clashed, the General might still be there. Nados was… quite far from Sephiran’s estate. Days-of-travel far. It would take a while to organize a suitable guard to escort him, not to mention the need for a reason… But it wasn’t as if he could lace up his sandals and walk there alone…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meal finished, he pushed away his plate and began to pace, thinking of a way to get to the castle without causing a fuss. The last thing he needed was to draw the eyes of anyone too important. His slippered feet skidded against the carpet when the idea came to him, so obvious that he swore at himself for not thinking of it sooner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warp powder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran tentatively crossed the room, locking the door. No one bothered to disturb him after he had taken his evening meal, but it didn’t hurt to be safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Powder… yes. He kept some in a small bag inside of his mattress, in case of emergencies. This was sort of an emergency, Sephiran thought, shoving his hand into the plush of the bed, hunting for the package. His fingers brushed against the rope cord, and he grasped it tightly, remaining crouched as he opened the small sack. Yes, there was enough in here for several trips; he could make it to the castle and back in a single night if need be. He would blame the exhaustive side effects on a lack of sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood, pouring a small amount of the sandy powder into his palm. He pictured Nados in his mind; a grand palace of heavy stone, surrounded by plains. He pictured himself standing at the open gate, looking up at the terraces. The powder warmed in his hand and in a rush of wind and warmth, was greeted by that sight that he had seen in his mind’s eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The terraces remained tall and imposing, but the rest of the castle… had been reduced to rubble. Walls knocked to the ground, massive stones lying sadly in the dirt, and a thick layer of ash and dust over everything. Sephiran sneezed into his sleeve, teetering in front of the door. Was this truly a good idea? The senator caught sight of an armored hand, sticking out from the rubble, presumably attached to a corpse, and steeled himself. If Zelgius was here, he would need help. If he was beyond help… it would be unwise to leave Alondite here in the middle of nowhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heavy wooden door was left ajar by Ike’s fleeing forces, and moving it kicked up dust as Sephiran peeked inside. A few of the braziers had fallen onto the ground, several of them still full of glowing coal; dangerous but probably unusable. With a whisper, fire began to dance between the Chancellor’s fingers, the pops and crackles echoing off the silent walls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were a lot of bodies in here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of them wearing the black armor of Daein. But all trimmed with scuffed and dirty gold, not white. Sephiran sighed to himself as he made his way through the fortress, occasionally stopping to kick aside rocks and check for pulses. He had let his nervousness get the best of him; of course the General would be smart enough to leave before… whatever had happened here. These long hallways contained only the corpses of those who could not run fast enough. Still. It wouldn’t hurt to check the last few rooms. For peace of mind, if nothing else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last door’s hinges squealed like shot pigs as he pushed into the main chamber. The dust here was thick; not quite settled onto the stonework. The heavy groans of bricks slipping met the senator’s ears, and he skirted the walls rather than risk stepping out into the open; the castle was clearly not totally settled yet. Sephiran stopped near the far wall, listening to the sounds of rubble shifting,  birds flying in and out of the massive hole in the ceiling, and the sound of someone breathing quietly nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran whipped his head around so fast that stars danced across his vision, and raised his fire higher in the air. There seemed to be nothing but fallen stone around, but he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> he had heard something-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There. Under a fallen column. A tiny sliver of a familiar red fabric poking out and catching the light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heart jumping into his throat, Sephiran abandoned his safe spot by the wall and dashed to the center of the room, sidestepping chunks of ceiling that had tumbled to the ground. There was someone under these fallen slabs of stone, he was sure of it; he could hear the sound of them breathing, and the occasional sound of metal armor scraping against the ground. Sephiran didn’t know what he preferred; did he want to find Zelgius here, injured to a near fatal degree? Or did he want to find some common soldier, and remain in the dark about what happened to his General?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire went out as his delicate hands reached for the smaller pieces of rubble, tossing aside rocks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry now… I’ll get you out,” he grunted as he shoved a heavy tile away. He wouldn’t be able to do anything about the column or the larger chunks of stone, but he surely had enough warp powder on him to carry two people…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand poked out of the pile now, the armor of it’s fingers dented but moving. This person was alive, and perhaps awake enough to move on their own. Sephiran squinted in the darkness. Scratched white trim. White. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get us home, General…” he mumbled, rummaging around in his pockets for the pouch of warp power. He turned Zelgius’s hand over and poured a bit into his palm, more than he needed, just to be safe. “Meet me in my quarters. I’ll heal you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran pressed the fallen knight’s hand into a fist, and with a puff of warm air, the man beneath the rubble dissolved, leaving the column to crash to the ground, further upsetting the structural integrity of the castle. The remaining man grabbed his own handful of powder and crushed it in his fist, thinking hard about the safety of his own room. Picturing himself standing just inside the entrance. Squeezing his eyes shut, he let the wind overtake him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The interior of his quarters were still warm, the hearth’s coals not yet burned out. After quickly checking that the lock was as he left it, he hurried further into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zelgius?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A labored breath answered him from the bathroom. Sephiran yanked his mend staff from it’s holder by the dying fire and rushed into the small room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Black Knight sat, slumped against the tile of the wall, head resting on the edge of the bathtub, breath echoing inside of his dented helmet. He barely moved as Sephiran’s knees hit the bath tile next to him, only stirring when the other man’s hands began tugging on the leather straps of his dented plates. When Zelgius spoke, it was so quiet that Sephiran almost didn’t hear it, despite the echo in the small room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to bleed on your carpet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How considerate,” the Chancellor said, reaching up to pull off the man’s helmet. It nearly broke apart in his grasp. A thick trickle of blood oozed down the knight’s temple, and Sephiran put the helmet aside and cupped the other man’s face in his hands. Zelgius closed his eyes at the gentle touch, taking a deep, shaking breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let's get you fixed up, alright?” Sephiran spoke, taking the other man’s weary gaze as a yes. The dented and armored plates continued to fill the small space of the room, until the floor was hardly visible. The smaller man traced the slashes in the knight's arming doublet with his finger, frowning when his fingers came up red. A quick prayer to the mend staff in his hands seemed to close the worst of the injuries, leaving only angry red scars and bruises behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This wound does not look too terrible… But I worry about infection. Here… let me start a bath,” he said, leaning over the edge of the tub to turn on the faucet. He himself hadn’t bathed since morning, so hopefully the water would still be warm. Beside him, Zelgius made a low humming sound in the back of his throat. Sephiran turned from the filling tub to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is something else wrong? Another injury?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knight didn’t speak for a moment, glazed eyes meeting the other man’s concerned gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just… tired. I’ll be fine… tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran pursed his lips. The man was clearly telling the truth, both with his words and with the way that he sat slumped bonelessly on the floor like an abandoned rag doll left out in the rain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know about tomorrow… but yes. I think that with some rest you’ll be fine. You’re a strong man, General.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The corner of Zelgius’s mouth twitched, but he stayed still on the floor, frozen aside from his breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here. Can you stand?” Sephiran said, holding out a hand to the other man. Zelgius’s palm was clammy and cold without his gloves, but he held on firmly as he slowly got to his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go to the kitchens to get you something to eat… and find you something to wear too. You’ll not use my bed while wearing clothes </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> filthy. Will you be alright in here by yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelgius nodded, only slumping </span>
  <em>
    <span>slightly</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. I’ll be back in just a few moments.” Sephiran wiped his hands on his robes and turned away, beginning to close the bathroom door behind him, before stopping and poking his head in again. “If you drown in my bathtub I will be very cross with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelgius smiled for real this time, small but present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will do my best to make even more of a mess than I already have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feeling well enough for jokes? I’d scold, but that can wait. I want to hear what happened. Tomorrow; you’ll tell me everything tomorrow. First bath, then food, then sleep.” With that, the door shut with a click. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he returned ten minutes later with a bowl of soup and bundle of clothes pillaged from the laundry room, he was pleased to find that Zelgius had, in fact, survived. The soup was gone in mere minutes; the day without food catching up to the knight with viscous intent. What had been an exhausted lean evolved into a near-unconscious slump, and Sephiran’s knees nearly buckled under the weight of supporting the other man as he practically dragged him over to the bed. It wasn’t until Sephiran had smothered him under the blankets that Zelgius spoke again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord… where will you sleep then? I can go back to my room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sephiran tutted, pulling his sandals off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are supposed to be on the front lines by now. I can’t allow you to be seen here, otherwise people may ask questions. Besides,” he explained, sitting heavily on the bed and shucking off his robes, allowing his stunted wings to stretch, “I need to keep a close eye on you for tonight. I’m still worried about your wound getting infected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He expected Zelgius to respond, whether in agreement or argument, but was greeted with silence. When he looked down, he found that the knight had already fallen asleep. Sephiran sighed, crawling under the blankets himself. It wasn’t long until the aftereffects of the warp powder claimed him as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The war would resume tomorrow. Tonight, there would be only rest. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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